Apparatus for treating glass



ci.' 30 i923. L4?,

- A. BOARDMAN 'APPARATUS Fon TRETING GLASS FiledA Dec,A Y4, 1919 '3 Sheets-Shee l Oct. 30, i923. 1,472,45

A. BOARDMAN APPARATUS FOR TREATING GLASS Filed Dec. 4, 1919 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,fr/g; 2.

/F Qf/ j 'M /14 /aff- W 3 8-- ;f. .g j f/ 4 I ll 33 Eli l I I l 5 Oct. 30, 1923. 1,472,456

A. BOARDMAN APPARATUS FOR TREATING GLASS Filed Dec. 4, 1919 5 Sheets-Shea?l 5 F/g. 4 F/g. 5

/Z F/Z y v /2 F/z v v z5 v l P 25 v' A24 n i' A 24 z/ zo ,@V Z4 Z5 25 l v r f 26 2f, /9A

2 ai 7 a4- 22 Z7 2?/ -34 Z7 37 Z7 Patented Oct. 30, 1923.

UNI-TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT BQARDMAN, OF HAMILTON, NTARIO,` CANADA, ASSIG-NOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING GLASS.

Application led December 4, 1919. Serial No. 342,450.

To all whom. 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ALBERT BOARDMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Treating Glass, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to an apparatus for uniting metal and glass andparticularly to that step in the manufacture of evacuated bulb structures, such as audions, which is concerned with the insertion of wires in the stem or pressof the bulb.

In manufacturing stems or presses' for lthe bulbs of electric instruments, it is the custom to support a ila-re Within which the lead wlres are properly positioned and then to heat a portion of the iare until it is sufliciently softened for the step of forming the press. Just before the formation of the press, an anchor ,wire is inserted into the softened portion of the flare so that when the press is formed it is sealed in the glass. Machines for performing this operation have heretofore comprised a movable member for projecting the anchor wire into position and jaws op-A erablev by the projecting member for form-- ing the press. The relation between` the `projecting member and jaws is such that When the projecting member has reached its limit of movement, the' jaws have also reached their limit of movement. Thus, should a flare be slightly undersize, .the jaws may not be effective to form a tight seal.

It is an object of this invention to provide an operable connection between the projecting member and the press forming jaws of such a character that a tight seal will always be produced regardless of the diameter ofthe flare.

This object is attained by slidably mounting the projecting member in a stationary holder and by` providing a resilient member for operating the projecting member. This resilient member is preferably carried by a cross head from which the press operating jaws are operated. Thus, when the jaws are closingthe resilient member co tacts with the projection member and ad-- vances it its full limit before the jaws are closed. Further movement of the jaws to finish the formation of the'seal serves merely to compress the resilient member without affecting the projection member so that regardless of the diameter of the press the jaws may always be suiiciently closed to produce a tight seal.

The machine features embodying the invention and for carrying the method thereof into eil'ecty are applicable as a modifica-- tion of machines of known construction used for the assembly of the wires and theV flare, and are so shown in the accompanying drawings, the machine chosen for illustration being one which is used in the manufacture of audions. v

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of that part vof the machine relating tothe operating heads and the {iame burner; Fig. 2 is an elevation of part of the machine showin'g one of the assembly heads with the parts Fig. 5 is an elevation ofpart of the machine showing the assembly head with its'ypparts in the position they asume at the instant the prem is being formed; Fig. 6 -isa longitudinal vertical section of part ofthe ma' chine showing the detailed structure'of the die blocks for supporting the flare and the' l cooperating parts; Fig.'7 is a perspective.

view of the article produced by this ma# chine; and Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a vacuum tube involvingv a flare and stem of the type produced by this machine and showing the relation of the flare and stem Yto the other parts of the tube. l

- The machine disclosed employs -a plurality of assembling heads, for example, five, -mounted upon a rotatable support l which is formed as a spider and has a hub fitted upon the centering post 2 and radial arms 3 which carry the assembling heads. The sequential operations are concurrently performed at different stations at which the rotation of the support is arrested. Three of these operations involve the heating ,of the Hare and are carried out byblow-pipes 4, the arrangement being such that the intensity of the heat is increased at the successive stations. The assembling heads are rotated at the heating stations by pinions 5, the shafts ofwhich have bearings in a table 6, the latter also serving as the support for thel post 2; the pinions 5 are driven by beltgearing from a counter shaft 7.

Each assembling head- (Figs. 2-4) is rotatably mounted by means of its shaft 8 in a terminal bearing 9 of one of the arms 3 and includes a bracket 10 mounted on the vupper end of said shaft and by which the operating parts are supported. Below the bearing 9, the s haft 8 is provided with a pinion 11 which is actuated by the several pinions 5 at the heating stations. The flare-Y` F is supported by cooperating jaws 12 provided at the ends of lever arms 13; these are mounted upon upright' rock shafts 14 iitted in bearing lugs 15 formed in the bracket 10. rlhe hub portions of the arms 13 are preferablyintergeared as at` 16 (see Fig. 3), and the arms are caused to grip the flare by a suitable spring 17 bearing between the finger levers 18 which project from the lower ends of the shaft 14. The wires to be secured in the flare are supported and secured by a die block (Figs. 5 and 6) which consists of an external tubular part 19 adj ustably mounted, as by a screw fastening 20, in a collar 21 formed in the bracket 10 and an internal part 22 which is mounted for axial adjustment in the part 19 and is secured by a screw fastening 23. ,The die block is, of course, located in alinement with the flare and its part 19 has at its upper end a web which is pierced by a row of apertures employed for centering the wires. The lower ends of the leading-in wires engage the part 22 as a support. The press P (Fig. 7) is formed by a pair of opposingv jaws 24 which are provided at the free ends of angular levers 25, these being pivoted at their other ends to ears 26 projecting from the collar 21 and being connected by links 27 to an operating head 28 mounted at the upper end of a reciprocatory rod 29. The shaftl 8 has a central bore in which the rod 29 operates, saidrod normally projecting below the pinion 11. When the assembling head is at the last heating station E, the rod 29 will be in alinement with anoperating plunger 30 which is movable through an opening in the table 6 and below said tableis suitably linked to a pedal 31 (see Fig. 7). The carrier 1 is held against accidental movement from a position in which the several yassembling heads are located at the respective st'ations by a spring-pressed detent 32, mounted on the table 6 and cooperating Witha projection 33 carried by the adjacent arm 3. The detent 32 is depressed manually to disengage the projection 33 in order that the carrier 1 may be rotated to bring each assembling head to the next station.

Assuming the flare to be supported by the jaws 12, and the several wires to be in their normal positions of assembly relative to one another and to the flare, the press is formed at the heating stations E by the operation.

of the jaws 24 in consequence of the upward movement of the rod 29 and head 28 as effected by the pedal 31.

The machine features above referred to are not new, but have been briefly described in order to facilitate an understanding of the invention.

Referring to Fig. 6, the wire to be projected is the central anchor wire lV, and according to the invention, this wire is normally held in a position in which it is not subject to the heat of the flames playing upon the flare and from which it may be directly moved to its normal position of assembly at the time the press is to be formed. In the embodiment disclosed, the wire W, which,like each 1eading-in wire L, is centered in one of the apertures of the part 19 of the die block, is supported on a stem 34 in a position where its lower end is below the flare and preferably below the upper face of the part 19. The stem 34 ismovable axially in a central bore in the part 22 and is provided with a collar 35 operating in an enlargement of said bore and which engages a plug or shoulder 36, at the lower end of said enlargement, as a support. The stem 34 is operated to project the wire W into the flare in connection with the operation of the jaws 24, the means employed preferably comprising a spring 37 secured to the head 28 and having a free portion arranged under the stem 34. The lower portion of the stem 34 extends beyond the part 22 and, when the head 28 is raised to effect the voperation of the jaws 24, the spring 37 engages the stem 34 and raises it to project the wire W into the flare. This action takes place preferably just before the jaws 24 engage the lower portion of the flare. During the upward movement of the head 28, the overhanging portion of the spring 37 engages the lower end of the part 22 at which time the wire lV is fully projected; and thereafter, as the upward movement of the head 28 continues, the arms of the spring are pressed relatively inward. The spring. 37 supports the stem 34 in its elevated position throughout the operation ofthe jaws 24 and thus insures the secure anchorage and accurate centering of the wire W in the press P, as shown in Figure 5. After the press has been formed, the pedal 31 is released whereupon the various parts drop by gravity into their normal positions, as shown in Fig. 4.

The three heating stations C, D and E are located above the table 6; and at one side of said table are the stations A and B in which the flare and the wires are arranged in the assembling head. At station A, an operator removes the unitl (Fig. 7)

completed at station E and, in preparation or another cycle of operations, places a iare in the jaws 12 and the leading-in wires L in the appropriateapertures o the die.

said press forming means, and means con! tacting with said operating means and said projecting means whereby oncof said means actuates the other, said Contactin means allowing relative movement of said operating means and said projecting means;

2. In a machine of the character described,

supporting means for aiare ofglass, press forming means, means for .projecting a wire into said flare and resilient means for operating said projecting means by said press forming means and means for operating said press forming means.

3. In a machine of the character described.I the combination with a supporting means for a iiare, press-forming jaws and vmeans for operating said jaws, of a support for. a Wire, said support being movable to project the wire into the are, and means on said jaw operating means for actuating the support at the saine time the jaws are operated, saidactuating'means allowin relative movement of said support and sai jaw operating means. A s

4. A machine for treating glass com rising means for supportin a flare of g ass, means for heating the g ass along any desired ortion, means for forming a press on said are, and means operable by said press orming means for projecting a wire into said -flare immediately prior 'to the formation of the press, said projecting means allowing movement of said press forming means relative to said wire.'-'

5. A machine for treating glass compris ing a Hare, a su port for a wire to inserted into said are, means for orn'iing a press on said iare, means for. ,projecting said wire into the Hare and a resilient member'carried by said press forming means for operating vsaid projecting means.

' 6. In a machine ofthe character described,

means for supporting a lareof glass, a support for a wireto'be inserted intosaid Hare, 'an operatin member, and a resihent .member carried y said operating member to en gage said wire support.

7. In a machine of the character described, means for supporting a glass Hare, press formi means, means for projecting a wire intoA said flare, means for gperatmg said prs; forming means, and means interp between saidprojecting means and said operating means for communicating movement from said operating means to. said projecting means and allowing movement of said operating means relative to said projecting means.

8. In a machine of the character described., p

the combination with supporting means for a flare, press-forming jaws, and means for operating said jaws, ofl a support for a wire, 'said support being movable to project the wire into the flare, and resilient means for communicating movement from said jaw operating means to said projecting means.

9. In a machine of thecharacter described, the combination with supportinF means for va dare, press-forming 'aws, and meansfor operating said'jaws, o' movable means for supporting a wire and a resilient member for operating said supporting means to project 4 the wire into the are, said member being actuated by said jaw-o rating means.

f 10. In a machine o the character described, the combination with supporti `means for a fiare, press-forming. jaws, an

means for operating said jaws, of a mov ablestem for supporting a-wire, and resilient means interposed between said 'jaw operating' means and said stem for communito said stem.

11. In a machine oi the character de scribed, the combination with supportin means for a' dare, press-forming jaws, an means for operatin lsaid jaws, said means including a vertica y movable element, of a eating movement from said operating means .V

movable stem f or supportin e wire, and a i Vspring between said stem an saidvertically mcvable. element at a period of the move ment of said element, said s' ring acting to more said stem and there y project the wire into the Hare.

V12. In a machine of the character diescribed, the combination with' supporting means for a dare, press-forming jaws, means for operating sai `jaws including a vertically movable element, and a die block arranged below said supporting means and comprising an external tubular part having at its upper endv a web pierced with apertures and a second part fitted in said tubular part to provide support for wires arran ed in certaino said apertures, of a stem sidably mounted inthe second part and projecting below the die block, said stem constituting a support for a wire arran ed in one of saida ertures and being mova le tol project the wire into the are, and a spring contacting withl said stem and said element at-a period of the operation of said jaw ,operating means.

' In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 18th day ofNoveinber a. n., im.

, ALBERT soaannan. 

